Railway-crossing.



No. 630,5!9. Patented Aug. 8, I899. .1. s. PERRY.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

(Application filed May 31, 1899.) (No Modal 2 SheetsSheet l.

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No. 630,5l9. Patented Aug. 8, I899.

J. s; PERRY. RAILWAY CROSSING.

(Application filed m 81, 1599.)

2 Sheets$h eet 2 (No Model.)

Witnesses:

UNITED "STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. PERRY, OFKALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT M. GATES, OFSAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPEGIFICATibN-forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,519, dated August8, 1899.

Application filed May 31, 1899. Serial No. 718,922. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES S. PERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Kalamazoo,in the county of Kalamazoo and Stateof Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway-crossings. 1

The object of the invention is to overcome the objections found to theordinary cross ings in that the rails thereof are not continuous, thatthey are very expensive to manufacture, and they are liable to get outof order, requiring the closest attention to keep the bolts tight owingto the great vibration caused by passing trains.

The objects of this invention are therefore specifically, first, toprovide an improved crossing in which the rails shall be continuous forthe passing train; second, to provide an improved arrangement forpivoting sections of rails so that they can be easily shifted to makethe crossing rails complete for either of the crossing tracks;'third, toprovide improved means of supportingswinging rails in a railway-crossingto accommodate and form crossings where tracks of the crossing railwaysapproach at any angle, and, fourth, to provide improved means of lockingthe rails in position in a railway-crossing of the classhere indicated.

Further objects will appear in the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish these objects of my invention by the devices and meansdescribed in this specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure embodying my invention is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying draw.-

ings, forming a part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-crossing embodying thefeatures of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on a linecorresponding to a line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thelittle arrows at the end of the section-line. Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail transverse sectional View taken on a line corresponding to lines3 3 of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 4 is an inverted detail plan View of one of the rail turn-tables onwhich the sections of rails swing in my improved railway-crossing.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on a linecorresponding to lines 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailelevation View, of the lever R and its. stand and rockshaft foroperating the locking-bolts in my improved railway-crossing.

In the drawings similar letters of reference refer to similar partsthroughout the several views. I

Inthe drawings, A A'represent the fixed rails of the railroad-crossing,which are supportedon suitable timbers; These rails extenduntil theymeet and are mitered together on two sides of the crossing diagonallyopposite, the rails resting on plates at their ends [to support themevenly and securely in pos'ition.; The remaining rails are cut ofi at aconsiderable distance back of the meetingpoint, this distance beingdetermined by the length of the swinging rail required-t0 be employed,which of course varies with the angle at which tracks approach eachother. On the point, and, with the pivotal center exactly at the pointwhere the rails would meet if extended, is supported a swinging rail B,each end ,of which is exactly equal to the other. ,Where the trackscross at right angles, these rails are in length exactlytwice the widthof the track, measuring from center of rail. They are pivoted at cornersdiagonally opposite each other and are secured to turn-tables having apivotal center at the point at which the shortened rails would meet ifextended. Suitable stops e are provided for the swinging rails Theturn-table is made in substantially the same manner as the turn-table'inmy pate nt application filed May 16, 1899, Serial No. 717,108, for arailway-switch, and I will not repeat its specific construction at thispoint, as it is unnecessary, furtherithan to state that its halves areextended to receive the pivot or pivot-bolts a at each end. Theseturn-tables are exactly equalto'each other, and the ends are connectedwithtie-rods E' 'E, secured by the pivotal connections a a. They areeasily adjustable by means of suitable turnbuckles, so that the railscan be adjusted exactly parallel to each other somewhat on the principleof parallel-rulers. It willbe observed that where the crossing trackscross at right angles by swinging the rails ninety degrees they willhave swung completely from one track into the other, so that the tracksare completely under the control of the attendant at this point.

I preferably eifect the swinging of the rails to operate the crossing bymeans of a lever F, which is secured to one of the turn-tables, asclearly appears in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. lVhile this lever Fmight be locked and make a fairly effective crossing, I prefer toprovide a lock for the rails at each joint. At the joints farthest fromthe center I provide pins L, supported on suitable guides secured to theweb of the rail, consisting of a folded piece of metal a. I provide abracket r with a suitable perforation on the end of the swingin g railto receive the locking-bolt on the end of the fixed rail. \Vhere therails extend to the meeting-point, I provide long bolts K, which extendthrough perforations in the web of the rail and are also supported bysmall brackets a, secured to the webs of the rails. \Vhere these bolts Kextend through the webs of the crossing rails, they cross each other,one above and one below, and the bracket-s r on the ends of the swingingrails are located at the right height to receive the points of theselocking-bolts, and of course the short bolts are located at the sameheight on the rails which do not extend to the meetingpoint. Extendingunder the rails of the tracks and through the timbers at a considerabledistance back from the crossing-point are rock-shafts G H I J-that is,at a point sufliciently far back from the crossing-points to extendunder each of the rails A of each approaching track. Extending up onthese rock-shafts are arms M at each end, which are provided withsuitable journal-bearings that receive the outturned ends or anysuitable pins on the locking-bolts K K K K L L L L. A lever R is securedto the rock-shaft G to actuate the same and is provided with a suitablelock-stand E. On the rock-shaft G is an arm N, extending downwardly, andfrom this a rod (Z extends to a bell-crank O, supported on a bracket 0between the rails of the crossing track, and a further rod (1 extends onin the same direction as rod 01 and connects to an upwardly-extendin garm N on shaft I. A rod'b connects the bell-crank O and extendstherefrom to an upwardly-extending arm P on the roek-shaft II. On theend of the rock-shaft I1 is a downwardlyextending arm Q. Aconnecting-rod 0 extends from this downwardly-extending arm along therail of its track beneath the rails of the crossing track and connectsto the upwardly-extending arm Q on the rock-shaft J. From theseconnections it will be observed that when the lever B is raised all ofthe locking-bolts will be withdrawn. The operator can then shift thecrossing by means of the lever F. When he has swung it to the desiredposition, he can push the locking-1ever R down, and the pointed boltswill slide into the eyes provided on the swinging rails and force theswinging rails into correct position and lock them at both ends.

I have described my improved railwaycrossing in its most approved form.I believe the improved turn-tables which I have provided areparticularly well adapted for use in this connection on account of theirgreat strength and stabilityand the ease with which they can beoperated. It will be noted that heavy plates D with circular heads D areprovided, which are embraced by suitable journaled members 0, to whichthe rails are secured by a modified fish-plate, all of which isspecifically described in my former application referred to.

WVhile I have in this connection shown the turn-tables connectedtogether, I wish to remark that the rails themselves might be connecteddirectly by providing them with suit able pivots; but owing to slightinaccuracies in the rails themselves I prefer to connect the turn-tablesinstead. The particular lock I have shown for the swinging rails in thisconnection is eiiicient; but I am aware that other locking means mightbe provided, as I have already intimated in the description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-crossing, the combination of a single rail of eachapproaching track extending to meet the adjacent rail to form an angleat each side of the track diagonally opposite from each other, theremaining rails being cut off at a distance back from the track equal tothe distance across the track in the direction in which the rails areextending; swinging rails supported on pivots on points opposite saidangles with the central point at the point where the shortened railswould meet if extended; connections between the swinging rails so theywill swing parallel to each other; and means of swinging the same, forthe purpose specified.

2. In a railway-crossing, the combination of a single rail of eachapproaching track extended to meet the adjacent rail to form an angle ateach side of the track diagonally opposite from each other, theremaining rails being cut off at a distance back from the track equal tothe distance across the track in the direction in which the rails areextending; swinging rails supported on pivots at points opposite saidangles with the central point at the point where the shortened railswould meet if extended; connections between the swinging rails so theywill swing parallel to each other; means to swing the same; and means oflocking the swinging rails in line with the fixed rails; rock-shaftsunder each of the approaching tracks at a point beneath the fixed railsthereof; upwardly-extending arms 011 said rock-shafts; locking-bolts insuitable guides on the fixed rails; brackets with suitable eyes on theends of the swinging rails to receive the ends of said lockingbolts;connections between the said rockshafts and a lever to actuate the sameto throw the locking-bolts into or out of engagement, for the purposespecified.

3. In a railway-crossing, the combination of a single rail of eachapproaching track extended to meet the adjacent rail to form an angle ateach side of the track diagonally opposite from each other, theremaining rails being out off at a distance back from the track equal tothe distance across the track in the direction in which the rails areextending; swinging rails supported on pivots at points opposite saidangles with the central point at a point where the shortened rails wouldmeet if they were extended, these said pivots consistin g of base-platesD,havin g circular heads- D, thereon; and members 0, 0, containingjournal-bearings bolted to the side thereof and secured to said swingingrails; and means of coupling said swinging rails together so that theywill swing parallel from one track to the other, for the purposespecified.

4;. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the rails of the meetingtracks of the swinging rails pivoted at opposite diagonal meeting-pointsof the fixed rails and extending in both directions from the pivotalcenter distances not less than the width of the track; and means ofswinging said rails so that they will shift from one track to the other,the fixed rails of both tracks being set back to receive the swingingrails, for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presenceof two witnesses.

JAMES s. PERRY. L. 8.]

Witnesses:

OASSA M. OHAPPELL, 0171s A. EARL.

